Breath guard canopy for serving unit

Abstract

A breath guard canopy for a serving unit of the type in which individuals move trays along one or both sides of the serving unit and receive food stuffs therefrom either by self-service or by being served. A breath guard, or canopy, in the form of at least one sheet of transparent material is supported on the unit in such a position as to be interposed between individuals moving along the unit and food stuffs contained in the unit, thereby protecting the food stuffs from the possibility of contamination. An illumination unit may be incorporated in the canopy to illuminate such foodstuff.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A breath guard canopy comprising; spaced support members, means supporting said support members, at least one transparent guard element extending between and resting on said support members and inclining downwardly toward one edge, aperture means formed in said guard element near the other edge, and spring clip means engageable with said aperture means for releasably holding said guard element in place on said support members. 
     
     
       2. A breath guard canopy according to claim 1 which includes spaced upstanding pylons forming the means supporting said support members, rails extending horizontally between and connected to said pylons, said spring clips being connected to said rails, and a cover member extending between said pylons at the top and engaging said rails. 
     
     
       3. A breath guard canopy according to claim 2 in which each pylon is in the form of an inwardly opening vertically extending channel, and cover plates releasably mounted on the open inner side of each said channel. 
     
     
       4. A breath guard canopy according to claim 2 in which each support member is a generally triangularly shaped transparent member with a lower edge extending horizontally and with side edges extending upwardly and inwardly from the extremities of said lower edge, a pair of laterally spaced apertures near the top of each support member, each pylon having threaded studs on the inner side receivable in said apertures for supporting the respective support member, and finger nuts threaded on said studs. 
     
     
       5. A breath guard canopy according to claim 2 which includes means on said rails intermediate the ends thereof for supporting a further support member. 
     
     
       6. A breath guard canopy according to claim 2 in which each rail is an angle with a vertical leg and a horizontal leg extending outwardly from the bottom of the vertical leg, each said spring clip being connected to the inside surface of the vertical leg of the respective rail and having a resilient free end extending angularly downwardly and outwardly beneath the horizontal leg and having an upwardly end part for engagement with the corresponding aperture in the respective guard element, the edge of the guard element near the aperture being disposed between the spring clip and the corner formed on the angle at the juncture of the legs of the angle. 
     
     
       7. A breath guard canopy according to claim 1 which includes spaced upstanding pylons forming the means supporting said support members, rails extending horizontally between and connected to said pylons, illuminating means extending horizontally between the pylons near the upper ends thereof for illuminating the space beneath the canopy, and a cover member in the form of a downwardly opening channel extending horizontally between said pylons at the upper ends thereof and engaging said rails, said cover member enclosing said illuminating means along the sides thereof. 
     
     
       8. A breath guard canopy according to claim 7 in which said cover member includes indentations in the sides thereof and apertures in the upper sides of said indentations through which light from said illuminating means can pass and through which heated air can escape from inside the cover member. 
     
     
       9. A breath guard canopy according to claim 7 in which said cover member is flat on top and is formed with upstanding ribs extending longitudinally thereof in laterally spaced relation. 
     
     
       10. A breath guard canopy according to claim 7 in which said pylons include means on the inner sides near the top for engaging the underside of said cover member at the ends, said rails having laterally outwardly projecting legs, the lower ends of the sides of said cover member being formed inwardly and snapping over said legs when the cover member is put in place on the canopy. 
     
     
       11. A breath guard canopy according to claim 1 in which the outer edge of the guard element is angled downwardly from the plane of the guard element to impart against bending to the guard element.